“Early morning—first thing in the morning—exercise is beneficial because it is increasing all those neurotransmitters, all those growth factors, at a time right before you need to use your brain to learn and remember,” Dr. Suzuki said. And the perks don’t stop there. Check out even more benefits of a morning workout.

Of course, if your schedule prevents you from hitting the gym until the end of the day, don’t sweat it! Experts say it doesn’t necessarily matter when you exercise, so long as you do it regularly. But according to Dr. Suzuki, an evening workout might have fewer positive effects for your noggin. Why? Most of us don’t use our brains as rigorously in the p.m.

“So, my recommendation is always to maximize the effects of an exercise for your daily cognitive functions. Do it first thing in the morning,” she said.